MURRAY'S quarter final opponent is better known as the partner of tennis superstar Maria Sharapova but beating the Scot would see him upstage his Russian beau.

Recently crowned French open champion Maria Sharapova is seen walking with her boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov down the street. I hope he bought her ice cream.

GRIGOR DIMITROV, better known as Maria Sharapova’s other half, accepts he is not even the best tennis player in his own house.

Given his girlfriend already has five Grand Slam titles, the Bulgarian insists it’s not even a close contest.

Sharapova won the first of her majors at Wimbledon exactly a decade ago and, although he was only 13 at the time, Dimitrov had his eye on her even back then.

Ten years on, and with the Russian beauty on his arm, his gaze is now firmly fixed on an All England Club crown of his own.

To get it, he will have to end the run of defending champion Andy Murray and break the hearts of a nation.

But the 23-year-old from the mean streets of Haskovo firmly believes he is finally ready to fulfil his enormous potential.

And even after Sharapova’s exit to German Angelique Kerber yesterday, Dimitrov is quietly confident his girlfriend will stick around to cheer him on in Sunday’s final.

He said: “There is no competition between us, not at all. We are at different stages of our careers. She has had an incredible career and has won a lot of titles. I’m just starting.

“There is no point in comparing. She competes in the WTA and I’m on the ATP. We can learn from each other.

“She is the best example of an athlete and player with her work ethic. But at the same time, without throwing flowers at myself, I give a lot of credit to myself for what I have become through the years and the work I have put in.

“There was no one next to me at the time giving me examples so I don’t want to compare myself with her.

“First, there is no point and second, even before I knew her, I thought she was the best. I remember watching her win Wimbledon. She was 17 – I was 13.

“Hopefully I will get to the final this year and then she can come and watch.”

Ever since his junior days, Dimitrov has been hailed as the next big thing. He was the brash teenage star with the elegant style who won the junior events at the US Open and Wimbledon in 2008.

His daring approach and dashing good looks have earned him several nicknames including G-Force, Prime Time, Mr Hot Shot and Baby Fed.

The latter has stuck and while Dimitrov was flattered at first he admits he cannot wait to shake it off.

It came about when former coach Peter Lundgren, who once mentored Roger Federer, said that at 18 he was further up the curve than the Swiss star who went on to bag 17 Grand Slam titles.

Dimitrov said: “It’s time for everyone to come up with something better.

“I’m proving myself not only as a player but as a person outside of the court.

“At the beginning, it was kind of easy to hear the Baby Fed thing. It was kind of funny. We were all laughing about it.

“But when I started to establish myself on the tour, it was getting out of hand. It put pressure on me but all that stuff is starting to fade away. I’ve proved I’m a different person, a different player.”

Until he hired Roger Rasheed as his coach 10 months ago, Dimitrov admitted he was too flamboyant for his own good. Growing tired of his own hype and feeling it was time he started living up to it, he brought the no-nonsense former Aussie Rules footballer on board.

From being a serial loser, he has won four titles in 10 months, including Queen’s. His fitness levels have soared and the results have been startling.

Dimitrov will break into the world’s top 10 for the first time after Wimbledon.

This afternoon’s clash with Murray will be his first SW19 quarter-final yet he is not here just to make up the numbers.

He said: “It’s a good match-up for me. Andy is a great guy on and off the court and I have a lot of respect for him.

“We have practised a lot, we have played matches against each other so I don’t think there will be any secrets on the court.

“He has home advantage but that could also make him feel uncomfortable.

“He is the champion and everyone expects him to win but I am here to bring my goodies too, so we will see.”